Frontiers August 2014 29 Company matching contributions are made each pay period and are fully vested immediately. To help employees make investment choices related to their Voluntary Investment Plan, Boeing offers on-demand financial planning and retirement overview seminars through the Boeing Education Network investment adviser services, and other tools through Boeing Savings Plans Online.** As a fairly recent hire, Hoefer has attended several of the on-demand financial planning seminars offered by Boeing. “Based on what I learned I’ve diversified more,” he said, “but I’m still fairly aggressive in my investing since I’m so far from retirement.” Another employee, Heather Robertson, joined Boeing four years ago, as a performance consultant with Learning, Training and Development in the Puget Sound area in Washington state. Robertson, who worked for several other companies before joining Boeing, participated in her previous employers’ retirement plans, so it was natural for her to sign up for Boeing’s Voluntary Investment Plan. As a recent hire, she was able to speak with a representative of Ayco about her financial goals. Ayco offers Boeing retirement planning seminars in person and through Boeing Education Network, as well as tools for reaching other financial goals, such as saving for college or buying a house.*** “I was happy to learn that I am on track to achieve my goals,” she said. “Next, I’m interested in having them look at my investment allocations to give me feedback on diversification. I feel like it’s an investment in my future, and to me that’s an important priority.” While Robertson and Hoefer are early in their Boeing careers, Mark Leppert is a lot closer to the end of his. A 25-year Boeing veteran, Leppert is with Boeing Test & Evaluation in Seattle. He has been a longtime participant in the Voluntary Investment Plan. He, too, recently attended an on- “You need to actively plan for your retirement … The earlier you start, the better off you will be.” —Mark Leppert, business and planning analyst, Boeing Test & Evaluation PHOTO: JESSICA OYANAGI/BOEING demand class on retirement planning. “I’ll probably retire in five to seven years,” Leppert said. “The class was a reminder that you need to be sure your ducks are in order so you can retire when you want to, not when you can afford to, because you’ve planned in advance at the beginning of your career. Looking back over his career, Leppert said he knows firsthand the value of planning early for retirement, just as Hoefer and Robinson are doing now. “You need to actively plan for your retirement,” he said. “You can’t just say, ‘Well, I’m not going to retire for another 20 years,’ and put it off. The earlier you start, the better off you will be.” n Questions? Contact susan.e.dalexander@boeing.com *Employees should go to the Contribution section of their VIP account at Boeing Savings Plans Online to confirm if Boeing matches their contributions and at what level or provided an automatic company contribution. Unionrepresented employees of unions that have not yet negotiated the 30 percent maximum contribution may contribute up to the maximum percentage allowed under the applicable bargaining contract. **Eligible participants for ING Advisor Service include nonunion employees and employees represented by a union that has negotiated for participation in the ING Advisor Service. ***Neither the Employee Benefit Plans Committee nor The Boeing Company endorse the independent advisory services provided by ING Advisor Service, or the education and planning services provided by Ayco, and are not responsible for the advice employees receive from these service providers. Employees should consult with their own professional advisers (tax, investment, legal or otherwise) regarding their individual circumstances and objective.
Frontiers August 2014 Issue
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